Disbelief
by Aduro
Summary: 2nd in 'Unexpected Visitor' series and this one has the whole gang. Caleb tries to tell Pogue and Tyler about the Reid situation, and they aren't taking him seriously. Of course Reid isn't helping one bit...rated for Reid who swears, not that bad
1. Informing the boys Take 1

A/N: The second story of the 'Unexpected Visitor' series. Just a little ditty with the rest of the covenant, but the second part might be a little delayed cuz I'm off to college tomorrow really early and it's half a day's drive and it's my first time making it all by myself. (frightened look) So, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'm hoping I get them for a late Christmas present, but I don't think it's actually going to happen (sigh).

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"Wait, wait, wait," said Pogue, looking as if he was just told that Santa Claus really did exist. "Reid, as in Annoying Reid, as in the 'Pogue, what am I going to do, Reid is being an absolute bastard' Reid, is staying at your house for an indeterminable amount of time."

Caleb sighed and settled back into his favorite armchair. "Yes, 'Annoying Reid' is staying at my house."

Pogue and Tyler exchanged looks and it was Tyler who was the next to speak up.

"You know, Caleb, the joke might have been funnier if it was actually believable."

"You think I'm joking," said Caleb.

They exchanged that look again.

"Well," Tyler continued, "you and Reid being in the same house for a week would equal homicide, perhaps even homicide-suicide. Not to mention that you hate having Reid over for lunch, much less spending the night, so yeah, a nice try at a joke, but not really funny."

"Oh," said Caleb darkly, "I never said it was funny."

It wasn't humorous at all in fact. Caleb and Reid just rubbed each other the wrong way, and while Caleb tried to be polite and host like, Reid delighted in doing everything in his power to get on the older boy's nerves. That included blasting some sorry excuse for a band at midnight, running away from the house at one in the morning, getting completely drunk at a bar that didn't card at two in the morning, and then coming home at three in the morning right as Caleb got home after scouring the town for him. Those all happened the first night Reid stayed.

It didn't stop there either. Reid liked to talk, a lot. Because Caleb was the only person in the house (besides his mother) that meant Reid talked to him. More like followed him around the house and chatted his ear off. If Caleb was doing homework, then Reid was in the room talking. If Caleb was making a meal for his mother, than Reid was in the room talking. If Caleb was on the phone with Sarah, then Reid, again, was in the room talking.

Reid also didn't have a car, which meant that they had to do the same activities. To keep it simple, Caleb just took them both to Nicky's, but that made for some rather awkward car rides when Caleb wished to take Sarah out. It was hard to get in the mood for some romantic time together when an obnoxious blond was in the back seat having the time of his life asking awkward and leading questions.

At Nicky's things were even worse. Caleb and Sarah would get a table and talk, and Reid would be on the other side of the room playing pool and then getting into fights. Caleb would then have to pull Reid out and sit him where he could keep an eye on him, at their table, which totally ruined the romantic feel, if they had even managed to find it in the first place.

Another annoying habit of Reid's was that he constantly said or did something that he knew would annoy Caleb just to see how the older boy would react. Reid did that in Chemistry as well. He would often mix together certain chemicals and then step back and see what they did. He, in his own words, 'liked to shake things up a little to see if it would all come down in the same place'.

Caleb, out of pure frustration at the white-blond, read a psych book on neglected children. Some terms practically had Reid as a part of the definition.

Reactive Attachment Disorder for one, which is basically maladaptive social behaviors, which can occur if because of motherly ambivalence to the pregnancy. Before Caleb's mother went alcoholic, she and a few ladies would get together and gossip. Lady Garwin was often a source of their stories, as she had only become pregnant because Adam Garwin wanted a child. Then Adam had died, and Lady Garwin was stuck with an unwanted pregnancy and by then it was too late to abort, or even put the child up for adoption.

RAD can also occur from the separation from the birth parents. When Reid was two years old, he was sent to live with his grandmother. No doubt he would have developed normally with her, because his grandmother was a sweet lady, but a year later, Reid was bounced back and forth between his grandmother and mom, and when he was with his mother, he was usually in the care of sitters or different daycare facilities. The inconsistent child care was paired with a break in the bonding process, which are two more causes of the disorder. That, along with the constant disappearance of Reid's mother, caused Reid to be a classic RAD kid.

One of the symptoms of RAD is 'superficially charming', which Reid could be when he wanted, or rather, when he wanted his way. The other characteristics include poor impulse control, a need to chatter continuously for attention, a demanding personality, and a difficulty giving and receiving affection. That would explain why Reid shied away whenever Caleb said something kind, or why he cracked a joke whenever receiving praise.

It was only through reading the book that Caleb could even attempt to remain calm with the white-blond boy.

The door bell rang then and Caleb got up to go answer it. Reid stood on the doorstep with a familiar, mischievous look on his face. It didn't help that he was in typical 'Reid' stance, with his left arm across his stomach, and his right hand over his mouth, resting that arm on the horizontal one.

"Reid," said Caleb warningly.

"Pogue and Tyler here?" asked Reid, trying to play innocent and failing.

"Reid, what are you going to do?" asked Caleb wearily.

Reid didn't answer, but pushed past him into the living room.

"Hey Reid," said Tyler. "Did you miss us?"

Reid shrugged. "Not really," he said, but Tyler pulled him into a one-armed embrace, and Reid thumped him on the back. Pogue just slapped his hand in greeting.

"So," said Reid, flopping down onto Caleb's favorite armchair and swinging his feet over the side, "how was California?"

"Absolutely amazing," said Tyler. "Pogue's cousins took us surfing and sailing, and then we took a trip up to the forest with the big trees."

"The forest with the big trees. Very descriptive Tyler."

Tyler made a face at Reid. "What did you do?"

Reid shrugged. "The usual. Nicky's, swimming, not doing any homework."

"So, you haven't been staying here, have you?" asked Pogue.

Reid frowned. "What?"

Caleb suddenly realized what the wicked look on Reid's face had been for and he glared at Reid.

"Caleb told us that you've been staying at his place for a bit," said Pogue.

Reid laughed. "Me? At his place? Yeah, that's it. I've been staying here for the past week."

Reid obviously knew he couldn't lie to save his life and so he was merely telling the truth in a sarcastic, 'are you serious?' manner.

"We didn't really believe him," said Tyler. "We figured it was him just trying to make a joke."

"Hey, Caleb," said Reid. "Maybe you shouldn't try any more jokes anytime soon. Leave it for the people who actually have a sense of humor, alright?" The three boys snickered at Caleb's failed attempt at a 'joke'.

"Oh, I have a sense of humor," said Caleb. "Like, right now, I think it would be really funny to throw you into the fountain in the back yard."

Reid stopped laughing at the dark look in Caleb's eye.

"Hey, Caleb, I was just kidding," he said, trying to back track. "I mean, of course I've been staying with you. You've been great to live with."

"Mm-hmm," said Caleb, still keeping his eyes on the younger blond. He took a step forward and Reid bolted, just like Caleb knew he would.

He chased the boy out of the room and through the hall, Pogue and Tyler following, wondering what the hell was going on.

Chase finally caught up with Reid when the younger boy tried to open the kitchen door that lead outside. The door always had a tendency to stick, so by the time it was open, Caleb grabbed Reid by the arm and pulled him into a headlock.

"Okay, okay, Caleb, I give," Reid babbled. "Hey, guys, I really have been staying at Caleb's house, alright. Caleb, let me go, I told them the truth."

"Not soon enough," said Caleb, manhandling him to the back fountain.

"Ah, come on Danvers, it's fucking cold out."

"How many times have I told you to watch your language?"

"Umm, twenty?"

"Try seventy-eight."

"Was not!"

"Close enough."

Reid tried to twist away, but Caleb managed to hold him, glancing back to see Pogue and Tyler watching the goings on with startled, yet amused, expressions.

"Pogue, Tyler, help. He's been abusing me and keeping me locked in the dungeons to have his wicked way with me," Reid shouted, trying to get a rescue from the other two Ipswichs.

"Alright, now you're really not getting out of this," said Caleb.

"Come on, Caleb. It's freezing out!"

"If it was freezing, then the water would be ice and you wouldn't have to worry about getting wet," said Caleb reasonably, approaching the edge with a struggling Reid.

"Oh, shit," Reid muttered, looking at the water, and then Caleb picked him up and tossed him in.

The fountain wasn't deep and so Caleb would have liked to throw him in the pool, but it was drained for the coming winter and so the fountain would have to do.

The fountain sloped inward, and Caleb had managed to throw him rather far and so Reid landed in a good three feet of water, and because of the throw, he hadn't managed to land on his feet, meaning that by the time he did stand up, he was soaked and already shivering.

He made a move to get out but Caleb held up a hand.

"Isn't there something you wanted to tell Pogue and Tyler?" he asked.

Reid sighed but turned to the other two. "I have been staying at Caleb's house," he said.

"And?" asked Caleb.

"And he hasn't kept me in the dungeons to have his wicked way with me."

"And?"

"And he really does have a bad sense of humor," said Reid, and then he took off before Caleb could stop him and ran into the house, locking the door behind him.

He actually managed to get all of the doors locked before Caleb had a chance to get to them, and by the time Caleb found the spare key, Reid was in dry clothes and making a pot of coffee. He also had the kettle on for tea.

Caleb reached out and ruffled his hair, just because it annoyed him.

Reid had switched the sugar in the bowl for salt.

Caleb didn't mind. Reid was actually drinking decaf, unknowingly of course.

He didn't regret inviting the white-blond over. Not yet, at least.

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There you have part one of two for a little filler before a larger story. For those who have read my Code series, I will be updating that as well as soon as I get settled in college. Love to all my readers, and love and hugs to all my reviewers!


	2. Informing the boys Take 2

A/N: So, here's the last part of the little drabble before a larger story. That may take a bit of time to get up because of school and what not, and because I want to get the next bit of my Code series up before this.

Thank you to all of my reviewers!

Disclaimer: Don't own them.

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"So, he really is staying over than," said Pogue.

It was the day after the two Ipswich's got back from California, the day after Caleb had tried to tell them the first time.

"Yeah," said Caleb. He was at the stove, cooking dinner. Reid was, as usual, out. Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays he was out until dinnertime with various friends and on Saturday mornings he was gone as well.

"What brought this on?" Pogue asked. "You weren't that lonely, were you?"

"Heck no," said Caleb. "He came barging in one night at one o clock with a policeman."

"He got arrested?" asked Tyler. "He said he wouldn't get full scale arrested without me."

Caleb and Pogue shot the usually quiet Ipswich a look. Tyler shrugged.

"Nothing big, of course," he said. "Just, you know, graffiti or something."

Caleb and Pogue shook their heads and Caleb continued, not feeling bad about spilling Reid's story because there were no secrets in the Ipswich four.

"Anyway, so I immediately thought that Reid had gotten caught using or had done some serious damage to someone."

"And he hadn't?" asked Pogue.

"No. It turns out his mother had been gone for a while. The 'while' as in enough time for a neighbor to call the cops for neglect."

"Neglect?" asked Pogue. "Reid?"

"Yeah," said Caleb ruefully. "And apparently this wasn't the first time either. So the police made him find a place for the night and then told him to show up at the station in the morning for questioning."

"And he came here?" asked Tyler, raising his eyebrows.

"Just to throw the policeman off. He was actually planning on going over to another friend's house, Joe Greer from school, but he knew that the officer wouldn't leave him there as it isn't exactly parental supervised. But Joe couldn't come pick him up, so he ended up staying here for the night. I grilled him on what was going on, and found out that his mom's been gone for four months."

Pogue gaped; Tyler blinked.

"_Four_ months?" asked Pogue.

Caleb nodded. "From what I've been able to find out, his mom just leaves whenever she feels like it and doesn't give any warning, or a contact number or anything. Reid managed to throw the social workers off when he went into the station, but he's done it before so I guess he has experience in that matter."

"And you took him in," said Pogue.

Caleb shrugged. "I didn't want to leave him alone in the house. He's been there all by himself for too long I think."

"It would explain some of the less endearing qualities about him," said Pogue.

Tyler shrugged. "I figured it was something like that, but I never knew that she was gone for so long. The way Reid talked about it made it seem like she was just never there during the day, going to clubs and meetings and what not."

"Yeah, I think he let us all think that," said Caleb.

"I think you did the right thing," said Pogue. "If you ever get sick of him, let me know and he can stay with me for a bit."

"I don't know," said Tyler. "I think it might be best if he stays here. Maybe he'll learn some self-control and responsibility."

"There is no way I'm going to be responsible for bringing him up," said Caleb. "I'm not his parental unit."

"You don't have to be his dad or anything," said Tyler. "Just, you know, the responsible older brother."

"Except that Reid and I don't get along," said Caleb.

Pogue shrugged. "I don't get along with my sister," he said. "It doesn't mean that I don't look out for her; and her for me. I think Ty has a point."

Caleb frowned but didn't say anything. It was the silence that let them hear the sound of a very loud, rattling, spluttering engine pull up into the drive.

"What the-?"

Caleb let the sauce simmer and looked out the window. A very old, very beat-up Corvette was in the drive, and when the engine finally shut off, Reid Garwin emerged grinning widely.

"Heck no," said Caleb, walking to the front door and pulling it open. He crossed his arms and stared at Reid. "What is that?" he demanded of the white-blond.

"It's my car," said Reid. "Isn't she great?" He leaned against the side, looking up at the Trio on the porch.

"That is nothing more than a scrap of metal on wheels. What on earth possessed you to buy it?"

Reid looked extremely offended. "It's a '67 Vette. She's a classic."

"She's a dump," said Caleb. Pogue and Tyler came to stand beside him.

"All she needs is a little work and a little paint," said Reid, defending his car's honor, stroking her peeling rust lovingly.

"You know," said Caleb to Pogue in a whisper. "I may take you up on that offer to have Reid stay at your place."

"Oh no," said Pogue. "I'm going to agree with Tyler on this one. He needs a good example, and I think you're the best one for the job."

"Remind me to kill you slowly after I deal with this," Caleb hissed to him.

He walked towards the garbage heap, hearing Pogue's stifled laughter.

"I don't envy you one bit Caleb."

Caleb merely shook his head, wondering what was the best way to convince Reid that the car was not worth this.

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So, this was kinda short, and once I get the bigger story up, I'm just gonna tag this onto the end of 'Unexpected Visitor' because I'm not real happy about the length. Thanks to Red Rogue for suggesting it.


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